KimchiGuide › Fact-Check Policy
✓ Accuracy Standards
How KimchiGuide Verifies Every Claim
Every recipe instruction, health benefit, and cultural fact on this site goes through a defined verification process before publication. This page explains exactly what that process is.
“A fact that cannot be verified should not be published. On KimchiGuide, if we cannot test it ourselves, cite a peer-reviewed source for it, or confirm it through a primary Korean-language reference — it does not appear on the site.”
— Ji-Young Park, Founder · KimchiGuide.comContent Categories
Three Content Types — Three Verification Approaches
KimchiGuide covers recipes, health research, and Korean cultural content. Each requires a different verification standard appropriate to the nature of the claims involved.
Recipes & Techniques
Verified through personal testing. Every recipe cooked minimum 3 times. Technique claims verified through direct experimentation with documented results.
Health & Nutrition
Verified against peer-reviewed human clinical trials. Written by RD PhD. Independently reviewed by MD FACG. In-vitro and animal studies labelled as preliminary only.
Korean Culture & History
Verified against primary Korean-language sources. Written by a native Korean speaker. Cultural claims cross-referenced with Korean culinary history texts.
Recipe Verification
How Recipe Claims Are Verified
1
Variables identified before testing begins
Before cooking once, Ji-Young lists every variable that could affect the result — pan type, kimchi age, fermentation stage, heat level, timing. This prevents publishing claims based on a single uncontrolled test.
Ji-Young Park — Founder & Kimchi Specialist
2
One variable changed at a time
Each test changes only one thing. Cast iron vs non-stick — everything else identical. 6-week kimchi vs 3-week kimchi — everything else identical. This produces clean, attributable results.
Ji-Young Park — Founder & Kimchi Specialist
3
Blind taste testing where possible
Where two methods are compared for flavour, Ji-Young’s partner tastes both without knowing which is which. His non-Korean palate represents the Western reader — KimchiGuide’s primary audience.
Ji-Young Park — internal testing protocol
4
Final recipe tested three times for consistency
Once the best method is confirmed, the complete recipe is made three more times. If the third batch produces a different result, testing continues. No recipe is published from a single successful attempt.
Ji-Young Park — Founder & Kimchi Specialist
5
Failures documented in Test Kitchen Notes
Every significant failure — the iodized salt batch, the cayenne-instead-of-gochugaru experiment — is documented and published. Failed results teach what doesn’t work and are as important as successes.
Ji-Young Park — published in Test Kitchen Notes
Health Claim Verification
How Health & Nutrition Claims Are Verified
1
PubMed and Cochrane search — human trials only
Every health article begins with a systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Reviews, and peer-reviewed journals limited to human clinical trials as primary evidence. Animal and in-vitro studies are identified separately and labelled as preliminary if referenced at all.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell RD, PhD
2
Full paper read — not just the abstract
Every cited study is read in full including methods, participant demographics, control conditions, conflict of interest disclosures, and limitations. A study’s abstract frequently overstates its conclusions — the methods section tells the truth.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell RD, PhD
3
Evidence quality assessed and disclosed
A 20-person observational study and a 500-person randomised controlled trial are not equal evidence. Language in the article reflects quality — “research suggests” for preliminary data, “clinical trials confirm” only for robust replicated findings.
Dr. Sarah Mitchell RD, PhD
4
Independent medical review by gastroenterologist
Dr. James Cho MD FACG reads every cited paper, checks that claims match what studies actually measured, adds caveats for specific patient populations, and confirms no therapeutic claims are made.
Dr. James Cho MD, FACG — Medical Reviewer
5
Published with reviewer name, credentials, and date
Every health article is published with Dr. Cho’s name, credentials, and review date prominently displayed. Articles are flagged for re-review when significant new evidence is published.
Published byline — visible on every health article
Approved Sources
Sources We Use — and Sources We Avoid
Peer-Reviewed Journals
Primary source for all health claims. Full papers read — not abstracts. Human trials only as primary evidence.
Journal of Nutrition, British Journal of Nutrition, Gastroenterology, Journal of Functional Foods, Nutrients, BMJ Open
Clinical Databases
Searched systematically before writing any health content. Results filtered for relevance and study quality.
PubMed, Cochrane Reviews, ClinicalTrials.gov, Google Scholar
Official Health Bodies
Clinical guidelines and position statements from recognised authorities used to contextualise research findings.
WHO, NHS, CDC, Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, American College of Gastroenterology
Korean Primary Sources
For cultural and historical content. Native Korean speaker reads primary texts — not English translations of Korean sources.
Korean Food Culture Heritage, National Institute of Korean Language, Korean culinary manuscripts
Wellness Blogs & Popular Media
Not used as sources for health claims. May be referenced to identify common misconceptions — never to support them.
Food blogs, wellness sites, social media posts, YouTube health videos
AI-Generated Content
AI tools are not used as sources. They may assist with research organisation but every factual claim is verified against a primary source.
ChatGPT, AI summaries, AI-generated research overviews
What We Never Do
Claims We Will Never Make
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✗We never claim kimchi “cures” or “treats” any conditionTherapeutic claims require a licensed clinical context. “Kimchi cures IBS” is not supported by any published clinical trial. We never use this language regardless of how popular such claims are in wellness media.
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✗We never cite rat or cell studies as proof of human benefitIn-vitro and animal studies are labelled as preliminary research only. They may indicate a direction for future research — they are not evidence of human effect. We make this distinction explicitly in every relevant article.
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✗We never present a small study as definitive evidenceA 12-person Korean study is not the same as a 500-person randomised controlled trial. We note sample sizes, follow-up periods, and population demographics so readers understand the scale of the evidence.
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✗We never copy recipes from other sources without full testingEvery recipe on KimchiGuide is developed and tested from scratch by Ji-Young. We do not adapt or retest other sites’ recipes as our own. Every published recipe reflects Ji-Young’s own documented testing record.
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✗We never let affiliate relationships influence fact-checkingIf a product we link to performs poorly in testing, we say so. Affiliate commission does not influence which products we recommend or which claims we validate. Editorial independence from commercial relationships is absolute.
What we do instead: Cite the source. Note the limitations. Say “research suggests” when evidence is preliminary. Say “we don’t know yet” when it is. Publish failures alongside successes.
Team Responsibilities
Who Is Responsible for What
FAQ
Fact-Check Questions
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What databases does KimchiGuide use for health research?PubMed, Cochrane Reviews, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov. All health claims are supported by peer-reviewed human clinical trials. Journals most commonly cited include the Journal of Nutrition, British Journal of Nutrition, Gastroenterology, and Journal of Functional Foods.
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How many times is each recipe tested?A minimum of three times for the final published version, plus additional tests during the variable-testing phase. Total batch count per recipe varies from 5 to 15+ depending on complexity and how many variables require testing.
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Does KimchiGuide use AI to write or verify content?AI tools may assist with research organisation and structural drafting. No AI tool is used as a source of factual claims. Every health fact is verified against a peer-reviewed paper read by Dr. Sarah Mitchell. Every recipe claim is verified through Ji-Young’s personal testing record.
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I believe a specific claim on your site is factually incorrect. What should I do?Email editorial@kimchiguide.com with the page URL, the specific claim, and — if possible — a source that contradicts it. We review all correction requests within 72 hours. See our Corrections Policy for the full process.
Contact
Challenge a Claim
Get in Touch About Accuracy
If you believe a claim on KimchiGuide is factually incorrect, or if you have a question about our verification process, contact our editorial team directly.
We respond to all factual challenges within 72 hours. If a claim is found to be incorrect, we correct it promptly and note the correction publicly on the article.
Related: Corrections Policy · Editorial Policy · Medical Disclaimer